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Afghans say last path to safety shuts as US halts visas after DC shooting

3 0
28.11.2025

By Saeed Shah

KABUL/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Afghans who fled the Taliban and have waited years for a U.S. resettlement decision say their last path to safety has shut since Washington froze all Afghan immigration cases following a shooting near the White House.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said late on Wednesday it had halted processing for Afghan nationals indefinitely, hours after an Afghan man shot and critically wounded two National Guard soldiers in Washington.

President Donald Trump called the attack "an act of terror" and ordered a review of Afghans who entered the country during Joe Biden's presidency.

For Afghans sheltering in Pakistan, tens of thousands of whom are awaiting U.S. resettlement decisions, the announcement felt like their last safe route had closed.

'IF I GO BACK YOU WILL HEAR NEWS OF MY ARREST OR MY DEATH'

"I was deeply distressed when I heard this news. We have completed all the required review procedures," said Ahmad Samim Naimi, 34, from Afghanistan's Panjshir province, who had worked as a TV presenter and press adviser under the previous, U.S.-backed........

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